Cabinet foe filing- papers



(No Model.) I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

BROWNE CABINET FOR FILING PAPERS, &c. No. 446,160. Patented Feb. 10, 1891.

FIG 11 lkvsnior Samuel 61. Browia By Z15 fltorneq (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. G. BROWNE.

CABINET FOR FILING PAPERS,'&0.

No. 446,160. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

S. G. BROWNE. CABINET FOR FILING PAPERS, &c. No. 446,160. Patented'Feb. 10,1891;

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FIG. X].

' f I nvenior (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' S. G. BROWNE.

CABINET FOR FILING PAPERS, 6:0.

Patented Feb. 10,1891.

Ex uE Jamuez G Bro urn?)- witnesses 4/4 [I I 1 I (No Model 5 SheetsSheet 5.

- S. G. BROWNE.

GABINET FOR FILING PAPERS, m. N0.-446,160. Patented Feb. 10, 1891.

ATENT Fries.

SAMUEL GRAHAM BROIVNE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CABINET FOR FILING PAPERS, 81.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,160, dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed September 24, 1889. Serial No. 324,874- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL GRAHAM BROWNE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex and Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cabinets for Filing Papers, applicable also to other articles of furniture, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cabinets with the object that they may be readily taken to pieces and packed in small space for transport, be easily erected, and the height further increased at any time without skilled labor; and I effect my object by making each piece according to a pattern and using a novel method of securing superposed shelves and fitting them with sides, backs, and doors to form nests inclosin g devices for holding, binding, and clipping documents therein.

My invention will be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, upon which- Figure I is an elevation of a cabinet for filing documents; Fig. II, an elevation of same, partlyin section; Fig. III, a plan of same; Fig. IV, a cabinet ready for packing forshipment; Fig. V, combined filing-cabinet and writing-desk; Fig. VI, side elevation of same, partly in section; Fig. VII, plan of same. Fig. VIII, a filing-cabinet with base; Fi IX, elevation of same, partly in section; Fig. X, cabinet for books; Fig. XI, cabinet for music. Figs. XII and XlIIshow in sectional plan standards, sides, back, and doors of cabinet, Fig. XII showing fluted standards and slotted ferrules, and Fig. XIII square slotted standards. Figs. I to VII show details of cabinet. Figs. VIII to XVIII" show details of filing-cases.

Similar letters refer to si m ilar parts thro u ghout the several views.

The cabinet or cabinet and writing-desk consists of a series of shelves A supported by tubular standards or distance-pieces B, such distance-pieces being provided with slots I, so that the panels forming the sides and backs G and any portion of the front can be inserted into same during erection. The shelves are provided with slots or grooves A, into which the panels fit. The edges of such panels may be fringed with rubber or other suitable ma terial to make the jointing dust-proof. The tubular supports B preferably consist of metal-drawn tubes, either circular, fluted, as shown at B, or square, as shown at B, or of any other suitable form.

l3 and B show a distance-piece of wood, which can be used for cheapness of manufacture, especially for the back of the cabinets.

The standards B are provided with ferrules 0, slotted to receive panels and bored out to fit tie-rod D, which passes through same; orsuch standards can be provided with a plate 0, attached to theirtop and base, suitably bored for the tie-rod, the tubes forming standards to be of sufficient internal diameter to enable the connecting-socket E of the tie-rod to pass through same, and where wooden supports are used they are bored out, as shown at B The tie-rods D are preferably made from gas-pipe, and may be made in one or more pieces screwed at both ends and connect-ed by the sockets, the top and bottom ends being screwed to suit sockets or nuts, those at the base being keyed to the tie-rod and also screwed to base, so that they will not unscrew or rotate.

The shelves A will be of suitable size and thickness and be bored with the required number of holes J, preferably fitted with metal bushes F, through which the tie-rod D passes.

To erect such a cabinet the tie-rods D are passed through the base A, the standards B, with their ferrules O, slipped over same, the sides and backs placed in the slots I, the bottoms fitting into groove A. Another shelf is then threaded over the tie-rods and the operation repeated the required number of times to produce the required number of nests or shelves. On screwing up the top nut of the tie-rod the various shelves, sides, backs, &c., are rigidly held in place. By unscrewing the sockets or nuts and unthreading the tie-rods the shelves, sides, backs, and standards, with the other parts of the cabinet, can be packed in small bulk. The number of shelves can be increased when required by unscrewing the top socket and by removing the top of the cabinet and replacing top with a shelf and rescrewing on socket, the top sockets or nuts E being so arranged that an extension of the tie-rod can be screwed into them, more shelves and standards threaded, and the top replaced. The nests formed in such cabinet can be fitted with drawers or file-cases so fixed together that they can be taken apart for packing pur poses. In some cases it is desirable to use flap-doors K to inclose the front openings of the nests, the doors being so arranged that they remain either open or closed at will, and for this purpose I use a combined hinge or spring consisting of a fiat steel or brass spring L, Figs. V and VI, one end of such spring being, turned round, so as to form a socket through which the hinge-pin is passed conneeting hinge M with springL. The hinge is screwed to the door K, the spring to the shelf A, as shown. To fit such a cabinet with suitable files for classifying documents I use a case formed as illustrated, Figs. X", XI XII and XIII". The front, bottom, and sides of the case being made in separate pieces for packing for transport, the front is provided with a slot N, in the center of which a pin 0 is screwed, over which the holder orbinderP is slipped. A hinged cover-plate Q is swiveled, so that it can clear slot or cover top of same.

Theholder P consists of the tube or tubes R and screw S, which is provided with a flat top. Indexleaves are threaded over this tube and secured byinserting the screw there in, the Whole thus forming a holder which is slipped over pin 0. Cover-plate Q is then closed over slot and held by movable-pin T,

the screw being adjusted until the head touches cover-plate, when the pin 0 secures the whole firmly in position. By opening the cover-plate Q the holder with index-leaves can be readily removed and the screw S tightened down to form a binder. Vashers may be used at top and under bottom of index-leaves.

The clip U (see Figs. X X1 XVI", and XVIII") consists, preferably, of a strong wire bent in a suitable shape to form arms in and connecting-piece V, the connecting-piece being so twisted at c as to pass round and fit a bar or bars XV, such bar or bars being curved andshaped so that a traverse of the connecting-piece on the bar radiates the arms 20, (say a side traverse of one and one-fourth inch,

gives a radial traverse to the arm of two inches, the pitch of the spiral being so slight that the arm becomes locked in any part of its traverse.) The bars are so shaped that at one end of the traverse the twisted guides clear the spiral and the arms can be swung round so that in one position the arms are free. On traversing the clip the arms gradually approach the bottom of the-clip until interrupted by any document or article which it is desired to hold.

I igsVIII and IX show a dial-plate to be attached to the case for the purpose of showing the dates of insertion of first of the documents up to the introduction of the last.

Having now fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A filing-cabinet or article of furniture having shelves kept at suitable distances apart by metal standards having grooves or slots to receive the panels or pieces forming sides and baclgsaid standards being provided with slotted ferrules or plates bored to suit tie-rod, tie-rods passing through said standards and through holes in the shelves, grooves in the shelves to receive the panels, and sockets or nuts by which any number of superposed shelves may be tightened up by the tie-rod or released for packing, the whole being made so that the cabinet may be enlarged or diminished at pleasure, substantially as described. I

2. In a filing-cabinet or article of furniture havingflap-doors, the combined hinge and spring consisting of a piece of fiat spring one end turned round so as to form a socket through which the hinge-pin on the flap-door is passed, the other end of the spring being secured to the shelf, substantially as described.

3. In a filing-cabinet having compartments formed as above described by movable standards and tie-rods, a file-case having a holder consisting of one or more tubes to receive index leaves secured by a screw passing through said tube, in combination with a clip consisting of two or more radial arms formed from a bent wire or otherwise, the piececonnecting the two arms being passed round a a'bar or bars curved and shaped so that a transverse movement radiates the arms, causing them to clip or release documents placed between the index-leaves, substantially as described.

SAMUEL GRAHAM BROWNE. WVitnesses:

WALTER J. SKERTEN, W. J. Nonwoon. 

